1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to accessories for electronic devices, and more particularly, to a shield for display screens of electronic devices, including laptop or notebook computers, PDA's, video and audio players, cell phones, DVD players, computer monitors, and the like, configured to increase privacy and/or to reduce glare.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Consumers today operate a large number of consumer electronic devices on a daily basis, plus the need and desire to own and use these devices is growing exponentially. These devices are becoming more portable; for example, laptop computers now outsell desktops due to an increase in functionality and a decrease in price. These consumer electronic devices include not only laptop and notebook computers, but also PDA's, cell phones, portable gaming devices, handheld video devices, portable music players, DVD players, computer monitors and the like, that have display screens used for data input, data output, or device control. The huge number of portable electronic devices involved is exemplified by the 49 million laptops that were sold worldwide in 2004 (USA Today) and by the 200 million cell phones owned by about 70% of the population of the U.S. (CTIA—the Wireless Association).
These portable electronic devices have become a vital part of both business and personal life. Because their very purpose is to allow the user to be mobile, they must often be used in less than optimum conditions, where it would be advantageous to have a shield for the display screen.
One such troublesome condition is where there is a lack of privacy. Users may need to access private personal or business data while in close proximity to others, and therefore may need to shield the screen from viewers. This occurs on public means of transportation, such as planes, trains, buses and subways, as well as in public locations, such as restaurants, schools, offices, Internet cafés, and various other wireless Internet access points or hotspots. A user may need to access highly confidential information on his own personal electronic device, or may need to access private information while using public computers such as are often found in banks of machines in tight quarters at Internet cafés, libraries, school computer labs, or the like.
Another problematic situation occurs when the user needs to use the electronic device, but the intensity or direction of ambient light is not suitable. At times the display screen is difficult to view, for example, when using the computer in an outdoor environment. At these times, a shield is needed to reduce the ambient light intensity for better viewing or to prevent excessive glare on the display screen of the device.
While some methods of shielding the display screen are known in the art, they all have limitations. One prior system proposed an extendable shield as an integral part of a briefcase-like laptop computer case. The accordion-like shield extends from the side of the case top cover to the side of the case bottom, opening when the case opened and folding when the case closed. This shield is heavy, being embodied in a case. It is cumbersome, being always extended when the case is open, and it is non-removable. It does not provide flexible options for use, as both sides of the shield are always extended at the sides of the laptop case, whether required or not.
Another prior system provided an extendable shield as an integral part of the plastic external laptop housing enclosing the computer components. This pleated shield, extending from the outside edge of the keyboard area to the outside edge of the laptop display screen, could be folded into the top of the plastic housing, but not removed from the plastic housing. Because this shield is an integral part of the computer housing, it cannot be added to, or used with, a laptop already owned by a consumer.
In both above systems, the extendable shield is more likely to become worn or damaged than the more substantial rigid structural materials of the case or housing, but the shield is not removable or replaceable, being integrally part of an expensive case or housing. Neither can these shields be easily transported and installed on computers that are not owned by the consumer, but that are merely rented or borrowed for a time, such as public computers at Internet cafés, gaming centers, or libraries, where the need for privacy protection may be great. Moreover, it would be an advantage to allow the user to customize the appearance of his or her electronic device by providing a shield that can be quickly and easily exchanged for a different color, texture, or design.
Another method of shielding the display screen has been devised that includes a large, removable, flexible hood extending forward from all four sides of the laptop display screen. This causes the user to need to peer into a restricted, narrowed opening to view the screen, severely limiting view angles. Another hood attaches over the top of the laptop screen and provides partial shields on the screen sides. Neither of these two shields provides flexibility of use; for example, they do not provide the ability to attach a shield to only one side of the display screen. While both of these shields are removable and detachable, it would be advantageous to have a trimmer and more compact shield for transport, for storage, and to appear less obtrusive when in use.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a display shield that combines the advantages of being economical, transportable, flexible, removable, replaceable, lightweight, and compact, while being capable of enhancing privacy or reducing glare for the display screens of electronic devices owned by the user or of electronic devices rented or borrowed at public sites.